SPRINGFIELD—Members of the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform heard feedback from witnesses on rules for state officials and employees in an effort to determine best practices and close any possible loopholes.

“We must address the crisis of confidence in our government by holding state leaders and employees to the highest of standards,” said State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago), who co-chairs the commission. “That includes, reviewing the rules and seeking input to find solutions which will hold bad actors who betray the public’s trust accountable.”

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation co-sponsored by State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) that would ensure the preservation of manufacturing jobs in the Peoria area passed the Senate with bipartisan support yesterday.

“The point of this legislation is simple: to keep good-paying jobs in our area,” Koehler said. “Without this tax exemption there is no question that aviation companies would have to take a long look at doing business elsewhere.”

Peoria is home to Byerly Aviation, a company that offers maintenance, charters and aircraft sales.

This legislation would reinstate the Illinois state sales tax exemption for materials used in aircraft manufacturing, which expired Dec. 31, 2014.

Since its expiration, the Illinois Department of Revenue audited several privately owned aviation repair companies and never required them to collect sales tax. The Illinois Aviation Trades Association believes the outstanding tax bill is roughly $50 million.

This legislation now awaits the governor’s signature.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) will join the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) and the Sierra Club later this month to host a presentation and Q&A session to help consumers explore alternative energy options and lower their utility bills.

The event is free and open to the public, and will take place on Feb. 24 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Park Ridge Public Library, located at 20 S. Prospect Ave. in Park Ridge.

“Lots of people could be saving money on their utility bills, but just aren’t aware of their options,” said Murphy. “I’m hoping that this event will help families find some financial relief. Even a few dollars a month can make a huge difference.”

At the event, Tim Milburn of the Northwest Cook County Sierra Club will give a short presentation on the Clean Energy Jobs Act, a piece of legislation that aims to ramp up renewable energy development in Illinois while saving consumers money and creating jobs.

SPRINGFIELD – Recognizing the necessity of the thousands of highly-skilled, highly-paid jobs jet repair companies provide to people in the state, the Illinois Senate overrode the governor’s veto of House Bill 3902 in a bipartisan manner Wednesday.

State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) led the efforts to protect jobs in the Metro East.

“I refused to sit idly by and allow thousands of people to lose their jobs because of a mistake by a former administration,” Crowe said. “Labor workers in the aviation repair industry contribute vital economic growth in the Metro East region and across the state, and this measure is an affirmation of support to them and their families.”

SPRINGFIELD – Property taxes will be lowered for some homeowners and business owners in South Suburban communities thanks to a new state grant program that seeks to lift some of the burden on school districts that are heavily taxed.

The Property Tax Relief Grant is part of the education funding reform package that has been put in place to level the playing field to better serve struggling school districts.

“This is a positive step forward in bringing long-term property tax relief to the community of Broadview,” Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) said. “Property taxes have been an extremely important issue, which is why I am pleased to see this grant awarded to Lindop School District.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) raised concerns following the transition of DCFS children with complex needs into the Medicaid managed care form Wednesday.

Days after nearly 19,000 adopted children and former foster children transitioned to Medicaid managed care, an estimated 2,500 were affected by a glitch that has left them without insurance since Saturday.

The Senate Human Services committee held a hearing Tuesday to address concerns with the oversight of Medicaid managed care agencies in hopes to find a solution.

“There is a lack of communication with the agencies and it’s being taken out on the families,” Senator Bennett said. “We need to ensure these individuals have access to the health care they need and are kept informed – we have to stay aggressive to get this resolved.”

CHICAGO – Illinois motorists would no longer suffer hefty fines by municipalities through the use of red-light cameras under legislation proposed by State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago).

Senate Bill 2902 prohibits any unit of government from using automated traffic law enforcement systems at intersections for the purpose of recording a driver's failure to stop and yield at a red light.

“It’s clear that the red-light camera program has been sustained and expanded by corruption,” Hunter said. “Traffic laws should be driven by safety, not bribery, shakedowns or the need to boost revenue. An industry that benefited from foul-play shouldn’t be able to continue to siphon money from the pockets of motorists.”

Red-light cameras have been a source of frustration for Illinois motorists since they were first legalized in 2006.

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Medicaid recipients considering clinical trials for cancer treatment would no longer face possible rejection of coverage for care under legislation advanced out of the Senate Human Services Committee by State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) on Wednesday.

“Access to the latest, most advanced cancer treatments can mean the difference between life and death for patients,” Manar said. “I take issue with the fact that some people are granted that access and others aren’t, simply depending on which insurance plan they have. This legislation solves that.”

An initiative of the American Cancer Society, Senate Bill 2499 requires Medicaid to cover routine care costs incurred for an approved clinical trial involving the prevention, detection, or treatment of cancer or any other life-threatening disease, as long as Medicaid would normally cover those same routine care costs for a non-clinical procedure.